Fraudsters and Alcohol: Courts Fight Back

Limoncello Numbs the Brain as a Policeman Flies Over The Bonnet

A lady, almost 70 years old, downed two limoncellos on her evening out in Monaco, then instead of walking home got in her luxury German sedan and drove off erratically. These were going to be very expensive limoncellos – and a lot worse besides. The next thing she knew a policeman was flying over her bonnet and hit the ground as she braked in alarm. Seventy five sessions with a physiotherapist over seven months and the policeman was still in pain. And he had to cut back on his regular exercise on his time off. The health insurance bills alone would come to over 10.000 euros. Add another 5.500 euros of expenses that would have to be picked up by the Principality. So the civil claim was going to total a big number – over 15.000 euros.

As far as the case in the Court went, the Judge severely admonished the lady for driving under the influence. It was her first offense though and she was beside herself, full of remorse. The Court levied an extra fine of 1.200euros which would pale in significance compared with the eventual Civil award.

Expensive Limoncellos and, of course, far more serious an injured policeman. Don’t drink and drive is the moral of this story!

Bedevilled By An Angel

An interesting case where a “physical therapist”, in his late twenties, might have actually helped cure, or at least lessoned the pain of a young patient. Angel or devil? –  because he wasn’t fully qualified yet. And he compounded his “sin” by issuing an invoice with false details. The mother of the patient had found him via the internet where he had placed ads. She was also the one that found him out. He drew suspicion when he was overly aggressive with her when she needed more information from him to submit his invoices to her health insurer. And further compounding his “sin” he continued to place ads on the internet – and then “disappeared” when the legal case was brought.

Despite the fact he may have done some good and was also genuinely pursuing courses to obtain a proper qualification, the Court decided to set an example. It was necessary to protect the public from charlatan practitioners in general.

The Judge made his decision – a 6 months suspended jail sentence.
And there would follow a civil award of 1000 euros, in addition.

Fraudsters Everywhere We Look! – Even On The Edges Of The Legal System

We look to the justice system to protect us from fraudsters and con-men. Now we have to be wary of not just scheming criminals trying to defraud us over the internet. Normally, our guard is down when dealing with our professional legal advisors. So we can hardly blame a middle eastern businessman when a “lawyer” he found on the Côte d’Azur said she would take care of some accounting arrears that were biting him with the authorities in Monaco.

Not far off 90 thousand euros had to be dealt with and the “lady lawyer” convinced him she was the magic bullet that would negotiate a settlement. And in a relatively short time, she fixed his problem – or so he thought. Putting the details in a letter, our legal star cheerfully announced she had made a deal for less than 20 thousand with the relevant Monaco authority.

Delighted, the businessman dutifully sent the “lady lawyer” a cheque for more than twenty thousand euros, to leave a clean record in Monaco. Except she was a complete fraud and lacked the professional qualifications she claimed. She had pulled stunts like this before. A no-show in the eventual Court case in Nice, and a thick file of prior offenses defrauding innocent “clients, the judge threw the book at her: three years in jail and, of course, ordered to refund the twenty thousand plus euros.
Sadly, the middle eastern businessman still has the headache of settling his ninety thousand account in Monaco.